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Director, Computational and Statistical Genetics – San Diego, CA

Would consider a Director, Computational and Statistical Genetics

Here, everyone matters and you will be a vital contributor to our inspiring, bold mission. As an Associate Director or Director, Computational and Statistical Genetics working on the Computational Biology team, you will be empowered to lead a team and perform computational and statistical analysis of human genetics data sets

POSITION OBJECTIVES:

· The Associate Director will be part of a team focused on computational biology support of discovery research and translational science. S/he will lead a group of experts in computational and statistical genetics to generate insights from big human data to support reverse and forward translation across multiple therapeutic areas of interest of Takeda. The Associate Director will apply expertise in statistical genetics, computational biology and genomics to analyze biobank, population scale molecular profiling and phenotype data for the identification and characterization of genes, networks and pathways involved in normal and perturbed physiology. This information will be used to understand the molecular basis of disease pathology and the mechanism of action of drugs, and ultimately be used for selection and progression of drug targets and assets.

· Applies statistical genetics analyses to large scale internal and external genetics and genomics data to support or falsify target hypotheses and support patient and indication selection and biomarker development.

· Interact with the external scientific community to bring cutting-edge statistical and computational methods to bear on drug development.

· Provides analysis and interpretation of data, specifically for the selection of new drug targets and indications

· Writes study reports and presents data effectively in all settings and with participants of all levels of the organization.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, BEHAVIOURAL COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

· PhD or equivalent in statistical genetics, computational biology or similar area with Post Doc and at least 8 years of working experience after post-doc

· Has a solid background in basic cellular and molecular biology with an understanding of a range of disease areas including neurobiology, gastroenterology, immunology and oncology. Exposure to a wide variety of therapeutic areas such as neuroscience, gastroenterology and oncology is a plus.

· Fluent in the use of R, Bioconductor, Python, and/or other languages commonly used for statistical genetics and computational genomics analysis.

· Must be expert in utilizing of various types of human genetic datasets (e.g. GWAS, CNVs, Rare variants, etc.) and has hands on experience in using public human genetics and epigenetics databases.

· Must be expert in statistical genetics with solid understanding in frequentist or Bayesian inference, Mendelian randomization and polygenetic risk score calculation.

· Must be expert in sequencing data analysis such as RNAseq, DNAseq, scRNA-seq, etc.

· Must have a proven track record in the analysis of large OMICS data

· Is able to develop creative methods for integration of human genetic, epigenetic, gene and protein expression data

· Must be expert and able to apply advanced machine learning methods such as Hidden Markov Chain, Elastic net, neural nets and deep learning algorithms.

· Must be able to apply methods of unsupervised machine learning algorithms such as WGCNA, K-means, Hierarchical, DBSCAN, and/or Spectral clustering

· Must be able to apply methods of dimensionality reduction algorithms such as Non-negative Matrix Factorization (NMF), Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Independent Component Analysis (ICA), Manifold Learning and similar techniques.

· Driving results is essential. Need to be able to motivate individuals in a cross-functional, matrixed organization and project team setting, to achieve and exceed goals by establishing accountabilities, clarifying performance expectations, agreeing to high standards and measures, monitoring and reviewing performance, and providing timely and relevant feedback.

· Demonstrated strategic thinker with an ability to create and drive a shared understanding of a long-term vision.

· Planning, priority setting, and time management are essential.

· Accountability – takes responsibility for his or her own performance and accepts full ownership of issues, problems, and opportunities, regardless of the source.

· Comfort with initiating analyses without always having a clear direction planned in advance

· Demonstrated creativity and innovation, including ability for divergent thinking and the propensity to question to traditional methods, processes, and products, as well as build on others' ideas.